Taking a Chance
by PoisonousRedApples
Summary: Emma has feelings for Regina and has finally decided to let them show. Will a new visitor in Storybrooke tear them apart before Regina gets a chance to reciprocate? Takes place after 2x9, when Emma and Snow/Mary Margaret return from FTL. WARNING: SWANQUEEN SEXY TIMES AHEAD.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is my first fanfic and I've never let anyone read my work before so I honestly don't know what I'm doing right/wrong. Please review and tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I (sadly) do not own Once Upon a Time or any of its characters.**

**Chapter 1**

Emma stood at the mayor's door, nervously wringing her hands together. It was a usual Saturday morning, and it looked to any passerby as though the sheriff was simply stopping by on official business and nothing more. Unfortunately, Emma Swan had come for a different purpose.

She had been standing there for about five minutes just deciding whether or not it was a bad idea for her to go through with this, but eventually she decided to take a chance. Even if it meant being kicked out of Storybrooke and never seeing her son again.

Before she could ring the doorbell, however, the door swung wide open and a small ball of energy came bounding out, only to crash into her and send them both sprawling to the ground. "Woah, kid, where's the fire?" Emma squealed as her back crashed into the pavement. Henry looked down at her, concerned he had injured her, but Emma only grinned at the worried expression on his face.

Pulling him up, she dusted him off and regarded him with a curious look. "Where on earth are you off to dressed like that?"

Truthfully, he looked about as handsome as a ten-year-old in a suit and tie could be. "Actually, I'm going to see Grace." He trailed off nervously, looking down at his feet and fidgeting with his hands as a deep blush creeped onto his face. _A trait he got from me_, Emma thought proudly.

"Well, have fun, and be careful not to run into anymore people on your way there kid. I love you. See you later." She ruffled his hair and gave him a wink as he bounded down the path and headed towards the road.

Turning to Regina, the blonde attempts to calm the rising fear in the pit of her stomach. "He looks excited. First big crush?"

Regina smiles slightly, looking proud. "Yes, he is rather excited about it. I do hope it all goes well."

The tension between them was evident as Emma shifted nervously from one foot to another. Fixing her in a steady gaze, the mayor asked in her most regal tone "Is there something you needed from me, Miss Swan, or were you here to visit Henry?"

"No, actually, I came to see you. I brought a couple files from the station, I was hoping to get a bit of help on some paperwork." In truth, Emma had only said that to delay having to go inside. "Oh, I'm so dumb, I left them in the car. If it's an alright time for you, I'll go get them?"

"Yes sheriff, that will be fine."

Turning on her heel, the mayor headed inside, her hips swaying back and forth to an unknown beat. _God she has an amazing ass, _Emma thought as she turned and almost tripped over her own feet to walk back to her car and grab the nonexistent file.

Regina headed inside and left the door open in anticipation of the sheriff. Removing her heels, she waltzed into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of cider. The last thing she wanted right now was to deal with the blonde, but she just didn't have the energy to ward her off today.

Hearing the sound of the sheriff's boots on her tile, she turned to request that she please take them off inside, but could not get the words out before she turned to find pale hands around her waist and the taste of cinnamon as Emma's lips connected with hers. Apples and cinnamon mixed as the blonde's tongue begged for entry, and Regina could not help but comply. As much as she hated to admit it, this is what she had been waiting for. She could not, however, cover up the surprised noise that elicited from her mouth as those same hands moved lower to grab at her ass.

Emma pulled back, studying her with a look of longing on her face. Regina swooped back in, answering the younger woman's unanswered question, lips crashing together as she ran her hands up and down the blonde's body. At almost lightning speed, that hideous red leather jacket and those insanely skin-tight jeans were gone, and Regina made quick work of stripping the sheriff down until she was left shivering in the hallway in nothing but a matching black set of lace underwear.

Regina pulled back to admire the sheriff. Licking her lips, all she could think was _God, she's just as perfect as I imagined her_. And it was true. The sheriff's perky breasts, perfectly sculpted abs and wonderfully prominent hip and collar bones made her a sight to behold. The black lace contrasted against her pale skin perfectly.

Emma stood there, feeling self-conscious but at the same time relieved. She never imagined that Regina would feel the same way. She was excited to know her plan had worked so far, but now the wetness spreading between her legs had her thinking of only one thing. Grinning, she let the words fall off her tongue like honey, "Why, Madame Mayor, it seems you have far too many clothes on for this activity."

Regina shuddered, Emma's words washing over her, and she could feel the wetness already pooling between her own legs. Emma lunged forward at that moment, and in seconds all the mayor's clothes were lying in a pile against the wall. Her matching lavender set of lace made her seem even more tan than usual, and Emma could not help but notice what a beautiful body the mayor had.

Feeling how wet Regina was as she was busy undressing her, Emma felt a swell of courage. Almost as if on cue, both women reached two fingers forwards, headed for the others wetness, barely pausing to remove the soaking wet scraps of cloth and lace that blocked them from their prize. Emma slapped Regina's wrist, however, and continued thrusting as the brunette pulled her fingers away and licked them contently, tasting Emma for the first time and wanting for more. Before she could go in for another try, she reached her climax and the orgasm ripped through her. Seeing stars, she collapsed into Emma's arms and rode the rest of it out, screaming out the sheriff's name. Gripping the blonde's shoulders as she recovered, she looked up at the other woman with a shaky smile. Feeling well enough to stand, she quickly grabbed the blonde forcefully by her massive tresse and pulled her close, growling in her ear "Now it's your turn."

Letting go of the mass of blonde curls, she dropped to her knees and motioned for the other woman to do the same. Almost as soon has the pale knees hit the floor, Emma was shoved forcefully back against the wall and perfectly manicured nails dug into the blonde's perfect ass. Shuddering, and feeling her desire grow more, the younger woman thrust her hips forward, and in response the mayor began to run her tongue up and down the insides of her thighs. Pressing softly against her folds, Regina nipped and licked and teased with the blonde, and smiled into Emma's leg as she gained a response.

Emma couldn't hold it in any longer. "Oh, god Regina, fuck me!"

Regina crawled up so that she was straddling across the blonde's lap and unhooked the black lacy bra, throwing it across the room. Leaning down to suck and nip at the blonde's neck, knowing it would leave a painfully obvious mark later, whispered "Be patient, dear," gaining a moan from the sheriff.

Not wanting to torture her **too** much more, Regina reached down to grab the perfectly sculpted breasts that now pressed up against her own and began to knead, pinching the nipples every so often to elicit another small whimper from the sheriff.

Finally, wanting her prize as much as Emma wanted her release, she slipped two fingers into the blonde's wetness, leaning down at the same time to taste the woman.

Stars exploded before Emma's eyes as her hips thrusted directly into the mayor's face. Crying out, she tangled her fingers into the brunette's hair and pulled, hard. When she finally came down, the two of them laid there quietly, on the floor of Regina's entryway, sweating and shaking and surrounded by their discarded scraps of clothing.

Suddenly, after what seemed like forever, Emma extracted herself out from under the older woman and stood up, gathering her clothes. The fear in the pit of her stomach had returned as she took in what just happened.

Regina felt it too. Sitting up and wrapping her arms around herself, she looked up at Emma with round eyes, searching the blonde's face for some sort of positive reaction to settle the fear rising in her own stomach.

Standing up, she watched as the sheriff struggled to pull the tight jeans back onto her body and shifted nervously, something you did not see Regina Mills do often.

"So, was this just a one time thing? A slip-up?" Regina searched the blonde's face, vulnerability creeping into her voice. Emma looked back, part of her wishing it was. But they both knew that there was so much more to this story.

"I- I have to go." Emma stood up and ran out the mayor's front door, suddenly feeling sick, pulling her tank top back on as she went. She just kept running, pushing past Henry as he made his way up the path with the hugest smile on his face, only for it to disappear as he saw her running past him in a panic. She pushed the keys into the ignition of her yellow bug and went speeding away, never looking back, just like she had done her entire life.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: thanks so much for all the follows and reviews, it really means a lot! This is gonna be a really short chapter cuz I wrote it during the commercial breaks of Manhattan last night (which I'm still not recovered from, anyone else?) Don't worry, I'll have another one up by the end of the day!**

**Disclaimer in Chapter 1**

**Chapter 2**

"Oh, come on Emma!" Ruby whirled around and set another cup of cocoa on the counter, fixing Emma in her gaze. "You two have been eye sexting for weeks now. It was only a matter of time before something like this happened!"

Emma had come running into the diner, hysterical and crying, and luckily no one but Ruby and Granny had been there to see it. When Granny had seen Emma, however, she gave her hand a squeeze before announcing that she "didn't want to know" and waltzed off into the kitchen without a second glance.

Emma's mouth dropped open. "You knew? I thought I was being subtle about it!"

Ruby - Red, dammit, she still couldn't get over that, even after her trip to fairytale land - laughed, rolling her eyes. "Sorry Ems, but you're about as subtle as an ogre. And the mayor...well, she's just as bad. I could seriously feel the sexual tension when we were in Mr. Gold's shop."

"Yeah, but I never thought..." Emma trailed off, deep in thought. _I never thought she actually had feelings for me. I thought it was just another one of her games, and that she was toying with my affections because she was upset about Henry._

_Oh god, Henry. What would he do if he found out his __**moms**__, the Evil Queen and the Savior, had...well...?_ Poor Regina was probably back there right now, trying to explain why his other mother had come running out of their house flustered and half-naked.

A crash brought the sheriff back to her senses. "Shit!" Ruby was leaning over a pile of broken plates, holding her hand. It was bleeding, a shard of ceramic sticking out of the palm. "Shit, Red, we need to get you to a hospital right now!" Grabbing a towel, Emma pulled her friend off the ground and helped her to the bug, the rusty doors creaking. "Wow, Ems, Snow wasn't kidding. You really need an upgrade." The blonde laughed, glad her friend still had a sense of humor.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Ok so to all those reviewers, yeah Emma was a complete bitch just leaving like that and then freaking out over it afterwards. Don't worry, she'll make up for it this chapter. Thanks again for all the support!**

**Disclaimer in Chapter 1**

**Chapter 3**

When they arrived at the hospital, everything was in utter and complete chaos. It seemed like all of Storybrooke had decided to be accident prone today, and the hospital staff were all running around like chickens with their heads cut off. And there was yelling, so much damn yelling it made the sheriff's head hurt.

She dragged Red to the counter, where a nurse was on the phone calling anyone off duty and telling them to "get their asses in there now because there are not enough people helping and the mayor was here and she doesn't want to get fired for not keeping everything in order."

Oh god, Regina. What if she was hurt? Leaving Ruby to fend for herself, she ran into the crowd, searching for the brunette.

* * *

Meanwhile, the mayor was pacing the waiting room, cursing herself. How could she have been so stupid to let herself get out of control like that? After Emma had run off, Henry had come into her room with wide eyes, asking why his mom had looked so upset while leaving, Regina had brushed his questions aside, saying she had somewhere to be. Henry's head drooped and he sauntered back to his room. As soon as he was gone, she had run downstairs and grabbed her keys, determined to go after the blonde.

Driving, she had been so lost in thought, remembering Emma's tongue against her teeth, their naked bodies pressed against one another, the way Emma had tasted on her lips, and then...

Bang! Something hit the front of her car with a scream. Panicking, she quickly got out of the car and ran to the front. There was Belle, lying on the ground, with an obviously broken wrist and scrapes on her face and neck from hitting the blacktop, with the rest of the damage unknown.

Regina stooped down and quickly picked up Belle, examining her small and fragile frame for any other serious damage. God, Rumplestiltskin would have her head if he knew. She placed her gently in the back seat, taking off her jacket to place under the girl's head for support.

She drove frantically to the hospital, and upon arrival she wished she had put more money into the budget for a larger hospital all those years ago. The place was packed, and when she came in carrying Belle it was all she could do to get someone's attention so they could take her away on a stretcher.

And now here she was, wishing she had just stopped that green-eyed beauty, grabbed her by the arm and asked her to stay. If she had she wouldn't be in this mess now. She sat down, head in her hands, and began to cry.

* * *

Finally, Emma gave up. She couldn't find Regina anywhere, and she was starting to think she heard the nurse wrong. She sat down in the waiting room next to a crying woman. She glanced over and, without thinking, placed her hand on the woman's back in the hope of comforting her. Even if she was a stranger, the blonde hated seeing anyone cry.

* * *

Feeling a hand on her back, the mayor prepared a sharp retort to sit up and shove in the face of whoever had decided to touch her. Pulling her head out of her hands, she wiped her eyes quickly, thinking that the only person she would allow to touch her there was...

Emma. She was sitting there, hand on Regina's back, sea green eyes boring into hers. Without saying anything, she threw herself into her love's arms.

Yes, she did just call Emma her love. She really was in love with her, and she was also the only person she was willing to show any vulnerable emotion around, save for Henry. "Are we...I mean...can we..."

"Shhh" she felt the blonde whisper into her hair. "It's ok."

* * *

Her arms safely around Regina, Emma began to relax. When the nurse had said she was here, the blonde had assumed the worst. But now that she knew the older woman was not physically hurt, she grew concerned once again as she watched her break down in her arms. Even when she was around, Regina only ever showed signs of affection, never weakness. It startled her to see the woman so fragile.

Prying Regina off of her, she took the brunette's face in her hands and wiped away her tears with her thumb. "Shh, Regina, it's ok. I'm right here. What happened?"

Regina just shook her head, unable to speak. The grief she had lived with in the last few hours alone began to cripple her. She managed to choke out the words after a while. "I ran over Belle with a car. I was coming to see if you were ok and I got distracted by- by what happened this morning. I'm so sorry Emma, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Emma, please, I-"

She paused as Emma placed one finger to her lover's lips, hushing her gently. The brunette pulled her finger away and quickly went in for a kiss. Emma complied, but kept it simple and quick, telling her everything was alright.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Post limit on Tumblr gave me a mini heart attack and left me with nothing to do but write so I got started on this chapter a lot sooner than I thought I would. But I did have to go back to my life after President's day weekend so sorry about the wait.**

**Chapter 4**

"Wait, what are you doing here dear? You're not hurt are you?" Regina began looking her over worriedly. Her Swan - Regina smiled at this - chuckled slightly. "No, I'm alright. I was in the diner and Ruby- Red- I have no idea what to call her anymore, she dropped some plates and got a piece of one stuck in her hand. I brought her here but someone said you were here too and I got worried so I left her to look for you. Oh god, I left her. I'll be right back. I need to make sure she's alright. Will you be ok for a few minutes?"

Regina nodded understandingly, and Emma gave her hand a squeeze before running off to find her friend.

* * *

Ruby was in the third room from the check-in desk, and the glass walls made it easy for the sheriff to locate her in the crowded hospital. Who knew such a small town could have so many medical emergencies in one day?

When Emma walked in, Ruby smiled a weak little smile. She looked terrible, especially with her...condition. "I thought for a wolf you'd be more comfortable around blood. You look terrible Rubes."

"Thanks" Ruby said sarcastically as Emma stood in the doorway and laughed. "I saw you talking to your girl. What's she doing here?"

"First of all, she's not my girl Red. And I shouldn't really tell you until I know all the details. I'll be right back." Emma left the room and flagged down the nearest nurse.

"How is Belle doing? I heard she was here and I wanted to make sure the accident wasn't too serious." Normally they were not allowed to release that kind of information to anyone, but seeing as she was sheriff, she gave the woman no choice.

"Not well I'm afraid. She has a broken wrist, multiple cuts from the pavement she landed on, a couple broken ribs, and her neck was not stabilized after the accident while she was on the way here, so that makes matters even worse. I'm afraid she has slipped into a coma. We won't know anything more until she wakes up."

Grief-stricken, Emma hung her head as she returned to Ruby's room. "What's wrong Emma? What's happened to Belle? I heard you say her name." She only shook her head and sat down next to Ruby on the bed, taking her hand.

"Ems, what happened? Tell me!"

"Belle's in a coma." Ruby gasped, tears forming in her eyes.

"H- how?"

"Well that's the part I wasn't sure I should tell you about. Regina was coming to see me, and she got distracted on the road-"

"That bitch! Emma why are you defending her? She could have killed Belle! Emma-!" She trailed off and began to cry. Emma kissed her on the head and told her everything would be alright, running her fingers through the hysterical girl's hair, and just sat with her while she cried.

* * *

Emma sat and held her for what must have been a good hour. Regina waited for her the whole time. Watching from the waiting room through the walls of glass, Regina couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy as Emma kissed Ruby's head and smoothed back her hair, comforting her. She knew that Emma and Ruby were close friends, but she couldn't shake that feeling of being bothered by it.

Waving to Emma, she motioned that she was going to go, and Emma quickly jumped up and ran out to say goodbye. Kissing her softly, she murmured, "You really don't have to leave. I'll only be a little longer" before pulling her back in again.

The kiss quickly turned passionate as lips parted and tongues danced together. Suddenly Emma's hand was up Regina's shirt, and they were suddenly moving towards the supply closet at lighting speed to avoid being seen by the large crowd of people inside the hospital walls.

Practically falling against the cabinets inside, Emma layed nips and kisses along Regina's neck and collarbones, smirking at the idea that her marks would be left on the mayor for at least the rest of the day. "You know-" she said inbetween kisses, "the last time- that we were in here was- when I was hellbent on killing you- for putting Henry under that curse. Hopefully- hopefully this time our experience will be more-" she pulled up, looking into Regina's eyes, which were dark with lust and wanting, "-pleasant." She let the last word drip off her tongue seductively, eliciting a small moan from the brunette.

Emma began stripping the older woman down, practically ripping off her dark purple blouse and impossibly tight pencil skirt that hugged the mayor's ass perfectly. Flinging the clothes across the room, she pulled back to take in the sight of the silk emerald set which barred her access to Regina.

Catching the silk between her teeth, Emma made quick work of extracting the underwear from around Regina's impossibly high heels and flung them against the wall to join the rest of the pile. Standing back up, the blonde took one of Regina's perfectly hardened nipples between her teeth and bit down, hard. As she did, she slipped two fingers inside, shuddering when she found the mayor already delightfully wet and waiting for her. Putting her fingers to her lips, she motioned for the brunette to be quiet as she continued thrusting.

Regina nodded, and, barely making it, bit down on Emma's shoulder to muffle the scream she so desperately needed to let out as her orgasm hit. She poured over Emma's fingers, and the blonde contently put them to her lips, licking them clean as the older woman came down and fell into her arms, shaking. When she felt strong enough to stand, she immediately walked to the pile of clothes and began redressing. Emma, looking upset and confused, asked "What are you doing?"

"Well dear, as enjoyable as that was, I'm afraid we can't stay in here much longer. Ms. Lucas will be wondering what's happened to you."

The lust in Emma's eyes burned bright as she nodded understandingly. "I'll leave first so no one sees us walking around together."

Regina nodded, pulling the blonde in for one more kiss before shoving her out the door and returning to the task of redressing herself. Holding up her panties, she found them to be completely ruined and, instead of enduring the discomfort the rest of the day, simply shrugged and threw them in the trash can that was sitting inside.

* * *

**About 20 minutes later...**

Deciding she needed to stretch her legs - and to check if she could still walk straight - the mayor took a walk down the main hospital hallway. She was headed towards Ms. Lucas' room, maybe to apologize, she wasn't really sure. On her way there, she passed the front desk, and that's when she heard it.

"Ah, yes, I understand. Y- yes. Yes Mr. Rumplestiltskin. Well she has you down as her emergency contact. No I really can't explain her condition until you get here. Well- yes."

Over the noise of the hospital, she could barely make out the next five words that came out of the speaker. _It was Regina, wasn't it?_ Her blood ran cold. He knew. She had to get out of there before he came and unleashed his wrath.

Frantically running to the parking lot, Regina fumbled with her purse, looking for the keys to her Mercedes. Panicked and shaky, her fingers found the keys and managed to extract them from the depths of her purse before she lost her grip and they fell with a clang onto the blacktop. She took a breath, bent over, and picked them up, clicking the unlock button. However when she glanced up, there was Rumplestiltskin, running to the hospital with the fire of concern in his eyes. When he spotted the mayor standing there, the look changed to one of pure rage and hatred.

His pace slowed, drawing out the moment he would reach the mayor only to scare her more. Regina stood there, rooted to the spot, one hand on the driver's door handle in case she had to make a quick getaway. Instead of running, however, she decided to play dumb, a move she did not dare employ unless she was truly desperate.

"Rumplestiltskin, good afternoon" the mayor said casually in her best voice of authority, acting as though nothing was wrong. "What brings you here? I do hope nothing is wrong."

At this Rumplestiltskin's eyes narrowed, and his walking stick came up to block her between him and her car door, which she had pulled open. Acting very un-dark one like, he screamed out. "You bitch, what the hell did you do to her?!"

Even as she said this, she knew it was the worst card she could play right now. "Calm down now, I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, I think you know EXACTLY what I mean." The venom dripped from his words, paralyzing Regina with an incurable fear. Rumple was planning something, something dangerous, and Regina knew it would be the most painful plan he had for her yet.

"I found an acquaintance of ours on the beach early this morning, looking slightly...out of place, I should say, in this world. And we struck a deal. Because the only person she hates in this life more than me is you. Now, I'm sure you can imagine who that is, dearie."

Regina could not form the words necessary in her now dry mouth.

"You reminded me of something before Emma and Snow returned to this world. She can only take things from those who have something to lose. I have something to lose now, and the fact that you almost killed her today makes me want to reach out and just choke the life out of you. But your mother-" he stopped and smirked at the shocked look on the mayor's face as her worst fears were confirmed "-she had a better idea. She told me she no longer would try to hurt Belle if I helped her. She believes you are weak, Regina, and as she asked me to remind you, _love is weakness_. And she plans on eliminating those weaknesses immediately."

Regina's heart stopped. Cora. She was here in Storybrooke. And she was coming for Emma and Henry.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: wow 35 follows this is crazy I never thought anyone would actually like anything I wrote :) guys this means so much keep the reviews up because I kind of dug myself a hole for writer's block and I'm not sure what to focus on in the next couple of chapters so HELP!**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Emma stood up, feeling exhausted and sexually frustrated. Red had finally fallen asleep, and the sheriff wanted to see if Regina was alright after their little adventure in the closet. Seeing her purse gone from the waiting room, Emma ran out of the hospital, hoping she could catch Regina before she drove away. She was still there, standing in the parking lot with Gold, looking scared out of her mind as he spoke to her.

She opened her mouth to call out to her lover, but she could only watch as Regina pushed Gold aside with all her strength and hopped into her Mercedes, driving away at an alarmingly fast speed.

Running to Gold, she pulled him off the ground before backing him up against a pole to stop him from running past her. "What did you say to her?"

"Calm down dearie, I mean her no harm. I just came to see Belle and I thought I would remind her that an old friend-" his sneer was unmistakeable "-was in town and very eager to see her."

Emma's eyes narrowed. "Who?"

Rumplestiltskin grinned mischievously. "Why, her mother, of course."

Emma's heart dropped into her stomach. _Cora. And that means that Hook made it here too. They're coming to kill us, me and Regina and Henry. And there's no way to stop them. Unless..._

Releasing her grip on Rumplestiltskin's neck, she sprinted past him and practically jammed the keys into the ignition. Tearing out of the hospital parking lot, she sped down the road, hoping her hunch was right and that she could get to Regina in time.

* * *

Regina sped down the road, running a few red lights in the process of getting to the graveyard, where she could hopefully come up with a spell to stop Cora before she could get to Henry or Emma.

Emma...she couldn't believe she was admitting it, but she actually loved that woman, and it scared the hell out of her. It gave Cora another target.

But what she found truly frightening was that Rumplestiltskin was actually siding with her mother, even after witnessing first hand back in their world the damage she could cause.

And suddenly she understood. Rumplestiltskin would never side with Cora, no matter how much he hated Regina. She should have seen it from the beginning...Cora took his heart and now she can control him to do anything she wishes done, and those actions could have dire consequences.

Pulling up to the edge of the grass, the mayor jumped out of her car and practically flew to her father's grave. Sliding his coffin to reveal the passageway below, she made it about halfway down before tripping and falling, skinning her hands and knees in the process._ Just like a silly child_, she thought as she picked herself up off the ground and brushed herself off.

She sat down on the sorry excuse for a sofa she kept down there in case of times like this. All she could think about now was how to get Rumple's heart back so he could help her fight against Cora.

Suddenly footsteps alerted her to the fact that someone had found her hiding place, and she whirled around in panic, searching for a weapon of some sort. Ever since she had promised Henry she would not use magic, she had felt more afraid and vulnerable than when she was a child.

"Gina? Are you down here?" A familiar voice called out to her, and she felt a pang of relief. Of course Emma would know she would come here, she always knew where to find her.

The relief in Emma's eyes was apparent as she ran down the steps two at a time to wrap her arms protectively around her lover. Gripping her face, the blonde breathed out a sigh of pure love. "I found you" she smiled contently and pressed her lips to the brunette's, allowing her tongue to run over the scar just above her lips.

"I was worried Cora might have gotten to you, and I-"

"How did you know about Cora?" Regina looked nervous, like she wasn't planning on letting Emma know what had just happened.

"I kind of squeezed it out of Gold. I watched you push him down and figured that whatever he said must have been pretty damn important for you to speed off like that."

Panicking, Regina turned to her lover. "Emma, she's going to kill us- you and me and Henry, she wants us all dead. I don't know why, and I don't know what she's planning, but she's dangerous Emma, and every time I find someone I love she comes and rips them out of my life, sometimes literally." She cringed, thinking back to the moment she watched her mother rip out the heart of her first love, Daniel. A tear rolled down her cheek, and Emma quickly reached out to brush it away with her thumb.

"It's ok, it's all gonna be ok." Emma wasn't very good at comforting people, and Regina was usually the strong one. Taking her chin in her hands again, Emma planted a soft kiss on the brunette's lips. Regina responded forcefully, practically shoving her tongue into Emma's mouth. Emma knew she was only doing this because she was in pain, but if it helps her, even for just a few minutes, Emma would do it.

"You know," Emma said between the wet kisses she was now placing down Regina's neck, "you're not nearly as evil as everyone says you are."

That stopped the queen dead in her tracks. Emma felt her body stiffen and pulled back, realizing her mistake. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by that, I just, you know, I'm not good at this kind of thing, and I was trying to say that you're nothing like you're mother and that we'll figure this out together."

"I think you should go, Miss Swan." Regina's eyes had darkened and her tone was curt and stiff. _Shit, I just messed this up so badly. And we really can't afford to lose each other right _now. However she knew not to push it after saying something like that. The walls Emma had spent so much time trying to break down had just gone back up, and she knew Regina would not forgive her for a comment like that.

Nodding understandingly, Emma stood up off the couch and made to leave before turning around and offering a timid "I'm sorry." With that she trudged up the stairs with her head hung, defeated and feeling like a bitch for letting something so stupid slip out.

Once Emma left, Regina walked to the edge of the steps as she buttoned her shirt back up. Letting out a heavy sigh, she leaned up against the wall, listening to the hearts beat in their boxes.

* * *

As Emma stomped across the grass, she heard a small crunch of leaves behind her. Hoping it was Regina, she whirled around to the source of the noise, but instead of being met with the sight of her lover's beautiful brown eyes, she felt the fabric of a cloth with a familiar smell cover her nose and mouth. "Don't struggle" was all a voice said as she began to slip. Her blood ran cold at the sound. Hook. He had found her. "How did you-" she sleepily managed before she collapsed into his arms and he dragged her across the grass and into the woods.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: hey guys, I'm really sorry about the long wait. Thanks so much for sticking with me and keeping up those great reviews!**

**Disclaimer in Chapter 1**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Emma awoke with her head pounding and the sensation of uneven ground digging into her back. Sitting up slowly, she winced and realized she was laying in a pile of ropes, and as she looked around, she could have sworn she was on... _A ship? So _that's _how Cora and Hook got here. They sailed in on his ship!_

Suddenly she heard footsteps from above and lied back down in hopes that whoever was coming wouldn't realize she was awake. However before she closed her eyes, a hatch above her swung open and the face of Captain Killian Jones himself appeared in the opening. "Ah, I was wondering when you would be up love. I thought you would have woken up by last night, but apparently that stuff I used to knock you out was stronger than I realized. How are-"

"Last _night_?" Emma's voice rose an octave as she began to panic. "How long have I been out for?"

"Oh, about three days" Hook said casually, beaming that snarky smile down at her. She struggled to stand up, ready to push the captain down and escape, but realized quickly that she was chained to the ground with a pair of iron shackles clamped firmly around her wrists. "Shit!"

"Don't even bother struggling love, you're not getting out of those bonds any time soon."

Emma snorted. "Yeah, what am I doing here anyways? I don't have anything to offer you or Cora, so I don't see what the use is keeping me locked up here."

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong love. You see, Cora needs you out of the way while she tries to win back her daughter, but I convinced her to let you live and let me keep you locked up here while she does what she came to do."

Emma laughed sarcastically. "Win back Regina? Ha! That's real funny Hook. I hate to break it to you, but Regina hates her mother. The last thing she wants to do is have a family reunion and give her a big hug and kiss on the cheek!"

Hook only smirked at her as she continued to struggle with her restraints. _If only you knew._

* * *

Regina sat at her desk, chewing on the end of her pen absentmindedly. It had been three days since her fight with Emma in the graveyard, and she hadn't heard a word from her since. Frankly, she was beginning to worry Cora had gotten to her.

Picking up her phone, she began dialing Emma's cell number once again, before a cold voice stopped her in her tracks. "Hello, Regina."

Regina's blood ran cold. _She found me._ "Mother" she said, her voice like stone. "What on earth do you want?" She rose from her chair to find her mother standing directly behind her, obviously thanks to her use of magic.

"Why, I just want you darling. I want us to be together again. And I want my daughter to hug me again. Is that too much to ask of my own child?"

"Yes, actually, it is." Regina said quickly, her voice dripping with venom. "I haven't hugged you since I was a child, and us _being together again_ is never going to happen. I repeat, _never._ So don't think for one second that I'm going to come running back to your arms and forgive you for all you've done to me. I hate to break it to you, Mother, but it's not that simple."

Cora shook her head sadly. "Oh, Regina, can't you see I've changed? I want to be good. I want to be forgiven, and I don't want anyone to be afraid of me anymore."

"Well I just don't see that happening, Mother. You've spent your entire life destroying the lives of everyone around you, so why do you think _anyone_ would believe you now? You disgust me."

Regina spat out those last words, making sure they stung. Cora looked hurt, but she could see it was all an act. Her mother was here for a different purpose, for what she did not yet know, but whatever it was could not be good. "Now, what do you really want?"

"I want you to stop seeing that little _tramp_, the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. Emma, I believe her name is?"

"You stay away from Emma. She's not part of this."

"Oh, no Regina, she is not...yet. Didn't I tell you once that love is weakness?"

"Yes, it seems I'm being reminded of that quite frequently these days."

Cora sighed. "Yes, well, that's the price you pay for fraternizing with the enemy. I had hoped you'd have learned by now, Regina, that wasting your time on love will never get you power."

_Even after all this time, her motives haven't changed._ "Oh, Mother you're so foolish. I don't want power - it doesn't get you anything in life and it leaves you alone and unloved. No, I want love. I would rather fight for a happy ending than fight for control over people who don't give a damn about me. I would rather be loved by one than be feared by many. We don't want the same things Mother, and nothing you ever say or do will change that."

Cora only laughed, unfazed by her daughter's outburst of defiance against her. "Well that is quite unfortunate dear, seeing as I have the woman you love in my custody." As she said this, she handed Regina a mirror, where a clear image of Emma was shown.

Regina gasped. Emma was in the hull of a ship, kneeling on a pile of large ropes. Her wrists were bound by thick metal shackles, her face was bruised and bloodied and there was a dirty scrap of rag stuffed in her mouth, presumably to keep her from yelling. Taking the mirror back, Cora tutted. "Well, she didn't look nearly that awful when I left. She must have decided not to listen to Hook and tried to run away. I told him not to harm her, but oh well..."

"Where are you holding her?" Regina asked quickly, her voice turning to ice. _I have to get her back, I have to, before I lose her to my mother's wrath._

"_Where are you holding her_? Answer me you bitch!" Regina launched herself at her mother, moving to wrap her hands around the woman's neck and squeeze until she dropped. Cora waved her hand, disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke. Regina fell to the ground, hitting her head painfully on the windowsill behind her.

She felt blood trickling down her forehead as she lied on the floor, but couldn't raise her hand to wipe it away. "Emma..." she whispered as she began to slip away, "I'll find you."

* * *

**A/N: so...yeah, it was kind of short, and I'm really sorry. My muse went AWOL on me and I was struggling to come up with how I wanted this to go. I have it mapped out for the next couple of chapters, so depending on my work load this week the updates should come faster.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: hi guys, I'm so sorry about the wait. I know it's been over a month since I've updated this (believe me, I've been kicking myself for it the entire time), but I think I've finally got it. Thanks so much for being patient and I'll have the next chapter up before Monday.**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Emma struggled for what felt like hours before the bonds finally started to slip. The hull of the ship which she was trapped in seemed to have been recently cleaned, so it was her bad luck that she couldn't find a scrap of something to try and pick the locks on the shackles binding her wrists. She would have to do it the old-fashioned way.

Seeing an oil lamp hanging above her, the blonde quickly reached up and plucked it off its hook, and waited patiently. When she was sure Hook and Cora were gone, she smashed the glass and poured the oil over her sore wrists, and began pulling.

After about twenty minutes of struggling, one wrist finally came free, and Emma took a break. Her wrists were sore, bruised and bleeding, but she couldn't afford to rest much longer in case her captors returned before she could free herself the rest of the way.

Standing up, she leaned against the bulkhead as her head spun. _Well this is just fucking great_, she thought miserably. _I probably have a goddamn concussion now thanks to that asshole._

The sheriff heard footsteps up above her and knew immediately that it was time to go. Taking the stairs two at a time, she burst out the cabin door and into the sunlight, shielding her eyes from the shock. Looking around, she barely had time to register as Hook came running at her, a wooden plank raised in his hands, ready to beat her down and tie her back up. Reaching for the plank, Emma took hold and dragged it out of his grasp, throwing it over the side of the ship and kicking Hook down onto his back.

"You know," she said, mocking him, "I usually like to do much more enjoyable things with a man on his back," before kicking him in the nose and laughing as it bled.

"You fight dirty for a lass," he said cockily, clutching at his nose as the blood dripped between his fingers. "Unfortunately not dirty enough."

Suddenly he lunged at her, wrapping his legs around her's and kicking her in the back of the knees. Emma fell to the ground, pushing herself back up quickly as she found her face only inches from the pirate's. He grinned. "You know, I'd love it if you'd just stay here with me love. Best to stay out of Cora's way while she's trying to accomplish her goal."

He lifted his head and took Emma's lower lip between his teeth, running his tongue along it gently. The blonde's eyes opened wide in shock as the pirate began to kiss her passionately, his single hand creeping lower to grab at her ass. _What the hell?_

Doing the only thing she could think of, Emma pushed herself up, lips still locked with the pirate, and pulled him towards the cabin door. She shoved him inside, playing with his shirt a little.

Clenching her fist, she pulled back and hit him in the jaw, hard, and watched as he fell to the ground stunned.

"That's what you get for kidnapping me and then trying to kiss me," she said. "Consider yourself lucky. You got off easy."

Shutting the cabin door with Hook unconscious inside, Emma quickly ran off the ship and up the dock, praying she wouldn't be too late to save Regina from her mother.

* * *

Regina awoke with her head throbbing, feeling as though she had a horrible hangover and had managed to fall down the stairs. She looked around, holding her head and feeling the blood that had made its way onto her cheek. _How in the hell...?_

And then she remembered. Her mother had come to town, claimed she wanted to redeem herself, then kidnapped Emma and threatened to hurt her and Henry. _Typical_, Regina though, clutching the bookshelf she had earlier hit her head on, the room spinning around her.

_I have to figure out a way to stop her. If I don't-_ Regina shuddered, not wanting to think about the destruction her mother could cause in this world, especially with magic being so unpredictable.

The brunette searched her mind, burying deep into her past as she stumbled to her car and jammed the keys in the ignition. She thought back to when she was no more than a small child, searching for a weakness she could exploit. However in every single memory of her mother, she found none. Not one weakness, not one single flaw, and no explanation for why that was. Her mother had been perfect, displaying no real emotion of any kind and existing in her life for the sole purpose of criticizing her for everything she did wrong and attempting to tell her what she was supposed to be doing. Her mother did those things because she didn't want her daughter to live the life she had, the life of a miller's daughter, but there was no love behind those choices. She simply did it because she didn't want her daughter to be seen as weak, or serve as a reminder of her unfortunate past.

_There was no love in her decisions, no love in her eyes...she never showed any sign of real emotion...there was nothing but disappointment in her eyes- that was it! _Regina let out a sigh of relief and turned left, heading towards the water. Her mother would have to have brought some of her belongings to this world with her. And the one thing the woman never let out of her sight was the very thing Regina was now going to use against her. "How did I not see it before?" she asked out loud, kicking herself in the head for not realizing. The box her mother kept was the holding place for her heart. There was no other explanation. The woman showed no vulnerable emotion, she never seemed happy, and she never felt love for anyone or anything.

That was how Regina had been, back when she became the Evil Queen. She had ripped out her own heart and locked it away in a box to prevent herself from ever being hurt again. She never would have admitted it to herself at the time, but she did it because she was scared. Scared of being hurt, scared of feeling, scared of falling in love again. She did it to save herself, and she assumed her mother had the same reasons. She too had led a life of pain and loss, one that was never truly her own, and by ripping out her heart she prevented herself from feeling the emotions that would have kept her in that fragile state.

The Benz pulled up to the waterfront, and no sooner had Regina turned off the engine than she spotted a blonde figure running along the dock. _Emma_, she thought, relieved. Somehow the blonde had managed to escape and now looked as though she was running for her life. Regina quickly got out of her car, slamming the door and screaming out, "Emma!"

* * *

The blonde froze and looked around, startled. She could have sworn she heard someone call her name. And that someone almost sounded like...

_Regina. Oh thank god._

"Regina!" Emma yelled happily. She took off running again, only this time straight towards the brunette. Hurdling herself over a stray pile of scrap metal lying on the ground, Emma found comfort in the other woman's arms, crashing into her and almost dragging both of them to the ground. She felt Regina relax as she buried her face in the brunette's neck. "Don't ever leave me again," she heard her whisper softly.

Pulling away with tears in her eyes, Emma smiled. "I won't. Nothing can keep us apart. Not even that crazy pirate or your mother." She kissed Regina softly, tentatively, as though asking for permission. "You're bleeding," she said as an afterthought.

Regina reached up, feeling the dried blood on her face. "Oh, it's nothing," she said quickly. "My mother paid me a visit, and we got into a bit of a disagreement."

"Ok so speaking of your mother," Emma said, "what are we going to do about her?"

"Well," Regina said, mischief shining in her eyes, "I think I have an idea..."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Okay guys, it's finally up. I can't believe it took me this long to get another update out (damn you writer's block!) but now that school's out I should be able to update faster - don't quote me on that though, we all know I'm not very reliable when it comes to that stuff.**

**I wanted to bring an old character back into the mix, especially since we haven't seen him on the show for a while, so I hope that's alright with you guys.**

**Keep reviewing and let me know how I did!**

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**Chapter 8**

"Sidney! So good to see you again." Regina stood with a slight sneer on her face, barely masked by her cheerful tone so that only Emma noticed. In truth, the brunette's eyes bore into the snitch of a man, warning him that one wrong move would cast him back into disapproval in her eyes. Sidney glanced nervously around the diner, then back at the two women in the booth. "Madame Mayor...Sheriff Swan," he said timidly, dipping his head slightly in greeting, "What can I do for you?"

Seating herself back down and gesturing towards the other side of the booth, Regina interlaced her fingers with Emma's underneath the table and took a deep breath. "Quite simply, we need your help with a little problem that has recently come to our attention, one that we think you and a select few others could help us with." The former spy looked up nervously, wringing his hands. "And what is that?" he asked after a few moments of silence.

"My mother and Captain Hook have come to town, and they are hellbent on harming Ms. Swan and I-" Emma's head snapped up, a hurt look in her eyes, but Regina chose to ignore her girlfriend "-and we have to do something about it, for Henry's sake and the sake of the entire town."

"Uh, well-" Sidney stuttered a moment before finding his voice, "-what exactly did you have in mind?"

Regina smiled deviously. "Well, I spend the drive from my office to the docks pondering any weaknesses that we could use to exploit against her, and I found none. It hit me a few minutes after that that her lack of weaknesses _is_ her weakness, and one we have to use against her if we want to win." Both Emma and Sidney stared at her, puzzled. "She has no weaknesses because she feels no emotion. And the only way to prevent emotion is by having your heart ripped out, whether you or someone else performs the task. It leaves you empty and interactive to any sort of incident that would cause a normal person to cry or laugh or even just smile. You become disconnected, and that is what causes her ruthless and evil behavior."

"Hold up a second," Emma said, a skeptical look plastered to her face, "you're telling me that we have to find her heart and convince her to put it back in her chest so she'll stop her crazy quest to find and kill everyone you care about?"

"Yes dear, that is correct." Emma shook her head, muttering something about this being "absolutely nuts" and "impossible."

"I agree with Emma, Madame Mayor," Sidney cut in quickly, "this plan is crazy and nearly impossible. It's not like she's just going to let us walk up and hand her her heart and expect her to just place it back in her chest? And do we even know where the damn thing is? I mean how do we know she didn't just leave it back in the Enchanted Forest or Neverland or wherever the hell you banished her to all those years ago?"

"You're right. She's not just going to let us walk up and place the heart in her hands and expect her to surrender. We'll most likely have to put the heart back in her chest by force, something I'll most likely have to do because I'm the only one who can get close enough without being murdered on the spot. As for how I know where the heart is? My mother taught me everything I know, and one valuable piece of information I never forgot during my time as the Evil Queen-" she cringed slightly at the mention of her old title around her girlfriend, "-was to never keep your heart too far away from you, but never leave it in your chest, because it was the one thing that made you weak. My mother would never leave her heart somewhere she couldn't keep a close eye on it. No, she brought it with her to this world. And since she came on Hook's ship, and she doesn't know her way around town yet, I'm assuming she's keeping it somewhere there. Sidney, that's where you come in." The man gulped, knowing full well what was coming. "We need you to find my mother's heart."

"Okay," he said slowly, "and what will you be doing in the meantime?"

Regina stood, her fingers still interlaced with Emma's. "Ms. Swan and I have some other business to attend to. Call when you've found the heart, and I'll tell you where to meet. Until this is over, we want to try and keep it on the down-low, is that clear Sidney?"

"Yes, ma'am." With a nod, the mayor pulled Emma out the door, almost tripping over her own feet in anticipation to get to the car. Sidney stared after them. _What are they up to?_

* * *

Hook sat up, running his fingers through his hair. _Well, shit_, he thought, and chuckled slightly, _that girl's punches certainly have gotten better since the last time I saw her_. As the pirate sat up, he felt his head begin to spin and was forced to lie back down, using his good hand to shield his eyes from the glare of the now-setting sun. Before he got the chance to wonder how he was going to deal with the blonde, he heard footsteps on the dock. Pulling himself quickly behind a crate, the pirate sat up as much as his head would allow and waited.

* * *

"Emma, you drive," Regina said hastily, tossing the blonde her keys and heading towards the passenger side of her Mercedes. "What?" Emma asked. Regina had never let her drive the Benz before, nor did she ever think she would. "Why?"

"We need to go to my place and I don't feel like driving right now."

"I-okay..." If Emma had turned away a second later, she might have noticed the aroused and almost crazed look that had come into the brunette's eyes.

Once they were on the road, Regina's hand slipped onto Emma's thigh and began to squeeze. Emma glanced over, but kept her eyes on the road. Soon, the hand slid up, and Emma became more and more distracted, feeling the heat pooling between her legs and squeezed them together to relieve some of the tension. As the hand continued it's journey upward, Emma let out a soft moan and swerved, unable to concentrate. Pulling over to the side of the road - and thankfully they were on an abandoned street near the woods, where no one would stumble across the mayor's car.

Turning off the engine, the blonde shakily unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed over onto the brunette's lap, grinding her hips into the other woman as their lips met and tongues battled for dominance. Emma felt nails scraping her scalp, trailing down across her shoulder blades before releasing and coming to the front to cup at her breasts, nipples standing erect through her lace bra and black tank top. The woman below her let out a soft moan,

Emma pulled away for a moment before placing her lips to Regina's neck, trailing kisses along her jawbone, nipping at tender skin before running her tongue over the sensitive marks. Slender fingers began to fumble with the button on the blonde's tightly-clad jeans. Emma shifted her her hips slightly, allowing the mayor to shimmy the denim down her toned thighs, stopping only once it was below her knees. Placing trails of wet kisses on the insides of pale thighs, the mayor unzipped Emma's leather boots, shoving them and her jeans down and tossing them into the driver's seat.

Emma arches her back and nearly falls over, the small space combining with her clumsiness causing the two women to lose their balance as Regina's runs her fingers in circles around Emma's throbbing clit, teasing her. Emma brings her head down to the brunette's neck, brushing silky hair aside to lay assault to tan flesh, letting out a small moan once again as the teasing became more heated. "Oh, god Regina, fuck!" she screamed, close to the edge.

Deciding to be nice, Regina slipped two fingers into Emma's folds and found her dripping, ready to be taken by her queen. She began thrusting fast and hard, not wanting to waste any time. She had missed her love very much, and wanted to prove it with an earth-shattering orgasm. It only took a moment before the young woman reached her climax, crying out and grabbing fistfuls of brown hair, shaking and sweating as she came back down. For a moment she just laid there, her heavy breathing the only noise in the otherwise silent Benz. Then she glanced up at Regina, a shaky smile on her face, a small sheen of sweat forming. "So...what was that for exactly?" she asked.

Regina flashed her perfect white teeth. "I just lo- I missed you, Emma. I wanted to show you." She hesitated. After all this time, could she really face the truth, that she loved Emma? Could she find the courage to tell her in case something did happen with her mother? And how would Emma handle it? Would she run away again?

Emma noticed the hesitation and reached up with shaky hands to cup the brunette's cheeks. Placing a sweet kiss on rouge lips, she whispered, "I love you, Regina."

Brown eyes opened to find bright green staring straight back. "I love you too Emma."

* * *

**So, what do you think? Will Sidney be able to find Cora's heart? Are we excited that they finally said I love you? Please review!**


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